Management Recommedations: Coping with Sargassum strandings

Transcription

1 Jehroum Wood Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Online Management Recommedations: Coping with Sargassum strandings Hazel Oxenford 1, Frédérique Fardin 2, Emma Doyle 3, Janice Cumberbatch 1 69 th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Grand Cayman, 7-11 November, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies University of the West Indies, Barbados 2 Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Area & Wildlife Parc National de al Guadeloupe 3 Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Charleston, USA

2 Hazel Oxenford Sargassum influx Taken by surprise Scrambled into action Lessons learned Best practice guidelines for clean-up Sargassum Management Brief

3 Hazel Oxenford Hazel Oxenford Jehroum Wood Lessons learned for clean-up One size does NOT fit all! No golden bullet Best approach will differ with circumstance Amount of sargassum Beach access Type of beach use Ecological sensitivity Workforce / budget Legislation

4 Don t leave the public in the dark Communication plan Example of poster in the British Virgin Islands. Source: Provide accurate easy to understand facts Suggest ways in which the public can assist Inform about what not to do! Texas A&M University Sargassum symposium

5 A. Copeland Hazel Oxenford To leave or to clean? Let nature run its course Low biomass Inaccessible beach Low public use Maintains ecosystem benefits

6 Israel Leal Above Barbados Removal from beach deemed necessary Overwhelming quantity Heavily used beach / supporting livelihoods Public nuisance / health risk Threatening turtle nesting Holding back sargassum in nearshore area Cancun Barbados Dominican Republic Barbados

7 Manual removal On shore Least damaging alternative Difficult access Ecologically sensitive Large workforce Hand rakes and wheelbarrows Minimises ecological damage Involve public Dominican Republic Barbados Mexico St Martin Le Pelican Barbados Noël Lindquist

8 Mechanical removal On shore Flat sand beaches Vehicle access Insufficient manpower Large soft tyres Mechanised rake Bucket for top layer only! Operate on wet beach (inter-tidal) Planned disposal sites Frederique Fardin Frederique Fardin Guadeloupe Le Pelican Guadeloupe Observers present Mexico Texas

9 Mechanical removal On shore Heavy equipment Tracked vehicles Gouging buckets Compacts sand Destroys vegetation & wildlife Removes sand Beach erosion Texas A&M University symposium Hazel Oxenford Hazel OxenfordFabien Védie Hazel Oxenford James Nielsen

10 Hazel Oxenford T. Vansickle & F. Rogers BVI Beacon 02 Oct Removal nearshore deemed necessary Threatening tourism sector Threatening coastal ecosystems Eutrophication Anoxia Physical smothering Shading Toxic hydrogen sulphide

11 Removal nearshore deemed necessary Harbours inundated Boats trapped Threatening livelihoods Blocking safe passage Martinique Barbados Kyle Harris St Thomas

12 Manual removal from water nearshore Most effective along calm shorelines and sheltered bays Some success with nets Hand raking and collection with wheelbarrows Some trials with horse drawn baskets Mexico Antigua Frederique Fardin Martinique Martinique PBK French Marines Martinique

13 Mechanical removal from water nearshore Mexico Calm (leeward) shorelines and harbours Barges with specialised conveyor-belts Amphibious vehicles with rakes Improve carrying capacity Very costly Frederique Fardin Guadeloupe DEAL de la Marinique Martinique

14 Hazel Oxenford Kyle Harris Offshore removal Harvesting sargassum in offshore waters Supports ocean food webs Provides nursery for endangered sea turtles Supports endemic species Provides spawning substrate for flyingfish

15 Deflection Barriers In water nearshore Prevent stranding Protecting sensitive habitats Protecting harbours Still experimental Anchoring very difficult Must be cleared daily Benjamin Ortega Prototype pump Cancun

16 Amy Cox Thanks for your attention! We welcome help in developing and updating management briefs Questions?